


Lending A Hand

by TQ121



Series: The Most Exquisite Corpse [3]
Category: Borderlands (Video Games)
Genre: Body Horror, M/M, its very mild in this one, period terminology
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-07-21
Updated: 2019-07-21
Packaged: 2020-07-09 18:03:26
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 958
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19892041
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TQ121/pseuds/TQ121
Summary: Rhys is fitted for a prosthetic arm, Jack and him flirt, and Jack finds out that Rhys has more health problems than he thought.The Most Exquisite Corpse continues...This is another piece in the series created byDauverneyand I.





	Lending A Hand

Rhys filled the back room of Jack's clinic with nervous energy. He had spent weeks healing in the older man's care, and now Rhys felt indebted to him. The man literally saved his life, and helped Rhys hide even if he had no idea who or what Rhys was hiding from.

He owed him more than he could pay back, and the weight of it felt crushing. Rhys spent too much time working for his freedom to throw it away, but he had no choice. He had to stay with Jack and rebuild his independence.

Jack either didn't notice or didn't care about Rhys nerves. He was more concerned with his creation. It was a finely made prosthetic arm made of wood and metal. The elbow would lock into two positions, and the hand was sculpted with intricate detail. It even had a hook and clip attachment that could be hidden in the palm.

"Let's see how it fits." Jack instructed buzzing with a much more positive energy than Rhys.

Still dressed in his waistcoat Rhys stared out lost in thought, until he realized that Jack was looking at him expectantly.

“It's made to fit under your clothes, Rhys.” Jack smirked at Rhys as the younger man blushed in embarrassment.

Rhys started unbuttoning his waistcoat with his only hand fumbling along the way, but capable enough on his own to get the job done. With a careful tug he was able to get it to slip of his shoulders, but he didn’t look comfortable at all with it.

“The shirt needs to come off too.” Jack looked way to smug about the whole thing. “Do you need help?”

“You enjoy this too much.” Rhys grumbled as he worked the buttons on his starched shirt. “Always asking me to get out of my clothes.”

Jack had the decency to look affronted. “I’m your doctor.”

Awkwardly pulling his shirt over his head as soon as he slipped free he accused. “Are you sure you’re not sexualy inverted?”

“Well I was in His Majesty's British Army.”

Rhys stared Jack down for a moment and Jack stared right back. Then Rhys’ face broke into a grin. “You are such an asshole.”

“And proud of it.” Jack answered back with an equally amused grin. Then he stood up holding the prosthetic. “Now lets see how this fits.”

“Yeah,” Rhys agreed, but there was a level of uncertainty to his voice.

Jack incapable of being quiet started humming as he first reinspected the stump. The scar was large but neat, and the flesh was free of disease. Unfortunately not enough of the arm remained for Rhys to have much control over the prosthetic, but it would help him fit better in society. Random strangers on the street wouldn’t stare at least.

The prosthetic was lined with leather where it met up with Rhys’ stump. An ideal material that would conform to Rhys, and provide both comfort and stability for the arm. Jack explained his work to Rhys as he then pulled the first strap to Rhys’ other shoulder.

“Tell me if it is uncomfortable. We can adjust the padding fairly easily.”

Rhys nodded unable to express the fact that the whole idea was uncomfortable. It was worse than a suit fitting.

Jack then took the second strap across Rhys ribs, but as his knuckles brushed across the younger man’s chest he frowned.

He then carefully felt along Rhys’ rib cage and his expression grew increasingly concerned. The spacing of Rhys’ ribs were completely wrong with the upper ribs too crowded, and the lower ones too far apart.

Jack then opened his mouth to speak, but Rhys quickly stopped him.

“Don’t.” Rhys’ voice trembled, and he closed his eyes ashamed. “I will not talk about it.”

Anger flared up in Jack, but Rhys looked even more vulnerable than he had when he was near death from the shock of his injury. So instead of doing something foolish he nodded, and then tightened the strap to secure the prosthetic.

He then inspected how the strap fit across the ribs. Jack grunted and shook his head.

"This won't do at all. I'm going to have to have another strap made" Jack didn't even bother buckling it, and pulled the strap loose before undoing the other one.

"It's fine." Rhys insisted.

Jack flicked Rhys on the nose and smirked when he flinched back.

"You're looking at me, good." Jack set the arm on the table. "If you don't want to talk about it fine, but your denial isn't going to stop me from doing my job right."

Rhys pouted. "I just want this over."

"Kiddo, your arm is gone this is never going to be over." Jack explained in a kinder voice than Rhys was used to hearing. "I'm going to have to redesign the straps. Especially the one that goes over your ribs. It needs to be much wider."

"What about the rest of it?" Rhys asked. He now looked to the door as a means to escape the awkward feeling of sitting there half undressed.

"It looks fine, and after I get the specially made strap done you should be good to go." Jack then gave Rhys a once over with a dirty smile "But for now let's talk about you becoming the clinics new eye candy."

"I'm not going to handle patients in my underwear." Rhys rolled his eyes dramatically at the horrible flirting. It was still better than the focus on his health.

"Come on they'll love it. The ladies will swoon." Jack cajoled.

Rhys snorted. "You mean faint from shock."

"Eh, swoon, faint, either way it will make the day more interesting."

After a prolonged sigh Rhys reiterated. "You are such an asshole."


End file.
